Chapter 3: Housing

Section 3.4           Housing Strategy / Housing Need Demand Assessment

(Amendment No. 12) Amend Section 3.4 ‘Housing Strategy / Housing Need Demand Assessment and  Policy HS P5 (pages 49- 50):- deleted text in red, new text in green as follows:

3.4 Housing Strategy /Housing Need Demand Assessment (HNDA)

The preparation of a Housing Strategy is a mandatory requirement under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. The purpose of the Housing Strategy is to evaluate the housing needs of the existing and future population in the County.

The NPF (NPO 37) also requires each local authority to develop a Housing Need Demand Assessment (HNDA) which must underpin and support the preparation of housing strategies and housing policy. A HDNA is defined as “a database which allows local authorities to run a number of different scenarios to inform key decisions on housing need and supply”. The HNDA will provide long-term estimates of future housing needs to support the preparation of Housing Strategies and inform housing policy outputs. While no formal guidance has issued regarding the expected requirements of the HNDA, the Department has published Section 28 Guidelines entitled ‘Housing Supply Target Methodology for Development Planning’. These Guidelines underpin the development of the projected demand for the  Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) tool for each county. The projected demand will inform the development of multi-annual social housing targets from 2021. As outlined in Section 3.1.3 this Plan must cater for an overall household demand of 3,107 households.

The Housing Strategy has determined that 926 households will not meet the affordability criteria for private ownership or private rental. These households are considered to require social and affordable housing. This equates to 29.8% of the anticipated households during the plan period. Additional analysis pursuant to the Affordable Housing Act 2021 has determined that 10.7% of households will not be able to afford private market housing but will not be eligible for social housing, and will require affordable housing tenures. In accordance with the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 Affordable Housing Act 2021 there will be a requirement for up to 10% 20% social and affordable housing in developments on lands in respect of which permission for the development of houses is granted zoned for residential use or a mixture of residential and other uses with more than nine four residential units. Full details of the Housing Strategy are set out in Appendix IV.

HS P5:   To apply a 10% social housing and up to 10% affordable housing requirement, pursuant to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), to land zoned for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, in respect of which permission for the development of houses is granted, except where development would be exempt from this requirement. Affordable housing requirements will be subject to the demand for and viability of affordable housing on individual sites; the Council reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of ‘Part V’ affordable housing delivery for individual sites on a case-by-case basis.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Section 3.8           Densities / Increased Heights

(Amendment No. 13) Insert additional text in green to Table 3.3 and Policy DN P4, Section 3.8 ‘Densities / Increased Heights – Policies’ (page 55) , as follows:

DN P4: Apply graded densities in towns and villages having regard to the Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas – Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2009) and the accompanying Urban Design Manual (2009), Circular Letter NRUP 02/21, the indicative residential density standards contained in Table 3.3,  the role of the town / village within the Settlement hierarchy, ensuring that developments are commensurate to the character of the existing built environment.

	Town  / Village Centre	Edge of Centre
Carlow Town	>35ha	25-30ha
Tullow Muine Bheag	>30ha	20-30ha
Smaller Towns	25-30ha	20-25ha**
Villages	20-25ha	10-20ha

** Lower density residential development  and serviced sites will be facilitated on appropriate sites within smaller towns and villages within the rural area in compliance with the programme for ‘new homes in small towns and villages’ NPO 18(b) .

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Section 3.14         Traveller Accommodation

(Amendment No. 14) Insert map after Section 3.14 ‘Traveller Accommodation’ (page 59), which illustrated location of Traveller specific accommodation sites as follows:

Section 3.16.2     Rural Generated Housing Need

(Amendment No. 15) Amend Table 3.5 Rural Housing Policy Zone 1 ‘Category 2: Criteria for Functional Social Requirement’  (page 64):- deleted text in red, new text in green as follows:

RURAL HOUSING POLICY ZONE 1 RURAL AREAS UNDER URBAN INFLUENCE
CATEGORY 1:  CRITERIA FOR FUNCTIONAL ECONOMIC REQUIREMENT	OR	CATEGORY 2: CRITERIA FOR FUNCTIONAL SOCIAL REQUIREMENT
The applicant shall demonstrate with relevant documentary proof, that they have a functional economic requirement to live in this rural area and wish to build a home for their own use.  This includes persons who: have existing occupational or employment related ties to the rural area, such as those involved in full-time agriculture, horticulture, forestry, as well as similar rural-based occupations, and where it can be adequately demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority that it is their predominant occupation; or can demonstrate their commitment to operate a full-time business from their proposed house in the rural area. The nature, viability, and location of any such business must be dependent on, and intrinsically linked to, the rural area.  This must be supported by a business plan prepared by a suitably qualified and competent professional.		The applicant shall demonstrate with relevant documentary proof that they have a functional social requirement to live in this rural area, and wish to build a home for their own use.  This includes persons who can demonstrate that they are living or have lived full-time in the local rural area for a minimum of 7 5 consecutive years at any stage prior to the making of the planning application, including returning migrants seeking a permanent home in their local rural area.  For the purposes of this policy, ‘local rural area’ is defined as a site within an 8km radius of where the applicant is living or has lived.
Where an application for a rural house is being made on the basis of Category 1 or Category 2, the applicant shall also demonstrate: that they do not own or have not been previously granted permission for a single house in the countryside in County Carlow and have not sold this house to an unrelated third party, save in exceptional circumstances; and, compliance with all normal siting and design considerations.  (Refer to also to Policy RH P6).

Section 3.16.2 Rural Generated Housing Need

(Amendment No. 16) Insert additional Criteria to Rural Housing Policy Zone 2 Section 3.16.2 ‘Rural Generated Housing Need’  (page 65), new text in green as follows:

RURAL HOUSING POLICY ZONE 2 OTHER RURAL AREAS

CRITERIA

(a)The applicant shall demonstrate compliance with all normal siting and design requirements.  (Refer also to Policy RH P6) (b) The applicant shall demonstrate that they are seeking to build their home in the rural area for their own full-time occupation, that they do not own or have not been previously granted permission for a single house in the countryside in County Carlow and have not sold this house to an unrelated third party, save in exceptional circumstances.  (c) Any single housing developments within Rural Housing Policy Zone 2 will be required to demonstrate that new on-site wastewater treatment systems associated with single housing in Rural Housing Policy Zone 2, alone and in combination with existing systems, will not result in significant adverse effects on the River Slaney Valley Special Area of Conservation, including the Freshwater Pearl Mussel, which is a qualifying interest of the site.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Section 3.16.4     Persons Residing in Bordering Counties - Policy

(Amendment No. 17) Amend Rural Housing Policy No. 5 Section 3.16.4 ‘Persons Residing in Bordering Counties – Policy’  (page 66):- deleted text in red, new text in green as follows:

It is the policy of the Council to:

RH P5:    Consider applications for single housing in the countryside from applicants in neighbouring counties who are living or have lived full-time  for a minimum period of 10  7 consecutive years at a location within a 3km radius of the Carlow County border, at any stage prior to the making of the planning application, and subject to the following:

1. Where Rural Housing Policy Zone 1 applies, the applicant shall demonstrate compliance with Category 1, parts (a), (b) and (c), or with Category 2, parts (a), (b) and (c). 

2. Where Rural Housing Policy Zone 2 applies, the applicant shall demonstrate compliance with parts (a) and (b).

3. The proposed site shall be within an 8km radius of where the applicant is living or has lived full-time for a minimum period of 10  7  consecutive years.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Section 3.16.5     Siting and Design

(Amendment No. 18) Insert additional text in green to Section 3.16.5 ‘Siting and Design – Policies’ (page 67), as follows:

The need to comply with the Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines for Planning Authorities DECLG (2012).

 

(Amendment No. 19) Amend Section 3.16.5 (vii) ‘Siting and Design – Policies’ (page 67) :- deleted text in red,  insert new text in green, as follows:

(vii) The ability of a site to accommodate an appropriate on-site surface water management system in accordance with Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) measures, Carlow County Council SuDS Policy, Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) B.S 8301:1985  the ‘SuDS Manual’ CIRIA C753, and BRE Digest 365.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Section 3.16.11   Replacement of Derelict Houses in the Countryside

(Amendment No. 20) Insert additional text in green to Section 3.16.11 ‘Replacement of Derelict Houses in the Countryside – Policy RH P13’ (page 68), as follows:

Facilitate the sensitive replacement of a structurally unsound derelict house (i.e. structure in ruinous or dangerous condition) as an alternative to the construction of a new single house elsewhere in the countryside.  The development proposal, in terms of siting, scale, layout and design, shall be sympathetic to the character of the original structure and the site.  Documentary evidence in the form of a structural survey and photographs shall be submitted in support of the application, and a bat survey report as required and appropriate. Subject to the findings of the survey, a derogation licence under the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (as amended) may be required. All other normal siting and design requirements will be applied, and the applicant/occupant will not be required to comply with rural housing policy criteria.

__________________________________________________________________________________________